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Clifford Geertz, one of the most influential figures in symbolic and interpretive anthropology, contributed significantly to the understanding of religion by focusing on its symbolic dimensions. His work sought to interpret religion not merely as a belief system or institution, but as a cultural system rich in symbolism, ritual, and meaning. In his essay *"Religion as a Cultural System"*, Geertz defines religion as a system of symbols that acts to establish powerful, pervasive, and long-lasting moods and motivations in men by formulating conceptions of a general order of existence and clothing these conceptions with such an aura of factuality that the moods and motivations seem uniquely realistic. This framework becomes central in his analysis of symbolism in religious functions. Geertz emphasized that symbols are not static representations but active agents in shaping human experience. They mediate meaning, bridge the sacred and the profane, and offer frameworks through which individuals interpret the world. Religious functions, according to Geertz, are especially saturated with symbolic meaning, with rituals being a key space where this symbolism is enacted and experienced. One of Geertz’s most famous fieldwork-based studies of religious symbolism is his ethnography *The Religion of Java* (1960), where he studied religious life in Modjokuto, a town in Java, Indonesia. Geertz distinguished three cultural streams in Javanese society: abangan (syncretic, animistic Islam), santri (orthodox Islam), and priyayi (Hindu-Buddhist aristocratic tradition). Each stream involved a different set of symbolic forms and religious functions. In particular, abangan rituals, such as slametan, were rich in symbolic content. The slametan, a communal feast meant to establish harmony and ward off danger, operates as a ritual of social integration. Its symbolism lies in the food, the communal sharing, and the spoken prayers, all of which reinforce social cohesion and spiritual security. The slametan demonstrates how religious functions can use symbols to resolve existential anxieties and __________ ___ ________ _____ ______ ___ _____ ___ __________ ___ __________ _____.
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